Monday, December 22, 2008

Let the tourists beware

Holiday cheer? What a ripoff!Tourists in New York City are always at the mercy of the con artists. Take a look at some bad business practices on the part of carriage horse drivers, brought to us by YouTube user "HorsesinNYC." This shows disgraceful and disrespectful behavior. And at least one driver has anger management issues.

Working Families Party Mayoral Forum

No walk in the park

Of horses and...

Her name is Rain...

PitytheHorses

Couldn't have said it better...

Friends of Animals, Victoria, BC

Your carriage awaits!

Get to know a driver

Multistory stables

No life for a horse

Nation's busiest city

No place for carriages

"Cruelty at its best..."

Chris writes: "To-day I was on a bus going through part of central park west when I spotted a horse leaning its head against a fire hydrant looking tired and depressed ... cruelty at its best."Friends of Animals website

Lawyers weigh in for the horses

The New York City Bar Association supports Intro. 658, Tony Avella's bill that would ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC, and opposes an industry bill that would further erode accountability. Read a summary statement that discusses both bills.

Lawyers support ban

New York City Bar Association opposes industry bill, supports a full ban. Read more

She'll vacation elsewhere...

We are a family of five, we live in Toronto...the horse-drawn carriages are one reason why we haven't been to NYC since seeing animals suffering would ruin our vacation. A few years ago we went to Chicago without knowing that Chicago had horse-drawn carriages. It was a SAD sight and we vowed never to visit another city where horses are being used in this way.

From the Times archives

Dangerous commutes

near the Lincoln tunnel

Eyewitness to a needless tragedy

The blogger Ryan J. Davis recounts what he saw on the day that poor young Spotty died, in January 2006:

"I stood outside of VYNL Diner waiting for my lunch date in early January 2006. I looked up ninth avenue and saw a horse-drawn carriage, speeding out of control, heading downtown. The driver couldn't get the horse to slow and, as it approached fiftieth Street, they slammed into a passing car. The driver was thrown from the carriage and was badly injured. The horse ended up under the car.It was a shocking sight that I won't soon forget.

Rob Thomas...

Help NYC's carriage horses

Dangerous work

One click away...

Saving Argus

Horses in traffic...

a dangerous combination

Followers

Danger? What danger?

Passing in the turn lane

Dog Tags are Here!

Wear a tag, help the horses!

Get inspired

BlindHorses.org

Costing Tourism Dollars

This is it! Another horse suffering a needless and horrifying death. I will never visit New York again until horse-carriages are banned. I urge everyone to call or write the Mayor of New York and tell him he will be losing a lot of tourism dollars because of this.Marcela D's comment on the Web site of the Toronto Humane Society, in September 2007 following the death of the NYC carriage horse Smoothie.

"Another Horse is Dead" (Clancy, February 2008)

Read an article from the Toronto Humane Society following the Feb. 7, 2008 death of Clancy, a New York carriage horse. It asks a pointed question: “Mayor Bloomberg, you've cut off these poor horses from city water, where are they getting their water from???”

The more things change...

the more they remain the same. Read a letter published in 1992 by The New York Times. It's been 16 years since the taxi driver wrote this letter, and we see the same problems today.

Heat wave 2008

Have a heart, don't take a ride

Dontcha wonder...

Who is Ian McKeever always talking to on that silly cell phone, in traffic?

The horses need your help

Volunteer today!

Noise? What noise?

Horse in traffic on 11th Ave

A horsewoman's view

"It’s torture, pure and simple and has gone on for years and years. Just see the videos of their pathetic stables."Yvonne, commenting on the Central Park Blog about New York City carriage horses

A lull in the traffic

Take a page from Frommer's...

Night Shift

Investigating the death ....

Death of a NYC Carriage Horse...Smoothie, 2007

Photo courtesy: Costanza for News

From Near and Far

Etelka said:

"Shame on NYC, one of the most beautiful cities in the world in my opinion. It would be nice if NYC would take a stand on cruelty to animals as many people look to NY and its residents as exemplars. Take a stand, NYC, and stop this cruelty. People should picket.New York City Horse Carriage Blog post on the Web site of the Toronto Humane Society (1/29/08)

Carry On Without Them

”Another N.Y. carriage horse death underscores the need for a city-wide ban on carriage horses,” a Humane Society of the United States news release says following the death in February 2008 of Clancy.

Tradition or Cruelty?

Nationwide, it's impossible to know how many work-related horse deaths have happened over the years; many aren't reported publicly, and carriage operators are wary of bad press. Whatever the number, animal advocates and medical professionals agree on one thing: an urban setting is not the place for horse-drawn carriages. Newsweek Web exclusive (2007)

TheHorse.com (register free)

Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages

Getting Real About Tourism

Recognizing the dangers to the horses and the threats to public safety, numerous Florida cities (Palm Beach, Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Key West, Treasure Island, and Panama City Beach) have banned horse-drawn carriages. Why shouldn't this happen in New York?

Horses Spook

"In a split second, you can have a horse go from being half asleep to being 1,200 pounds crashing through traffic.”Holly Cheever, DVM